The KISS principle, also known as “Keep it simple, silly!” is our key component to making this work! It is easy to get discouraged when we add too much onto our plate. Though we have good intentions, our ability to stay committed can wain when we simply have toomuch. My dear readers, our magic number is 3!

I want you to pick 3 simple exercises! I assume some of you are showing skeptical faces, hold on I know what you’re thinking! What is a simple exercise,

Maintaining form is crucial.

walking, squats, bicep curls? A simple exercise is one you can do by yourself, and that you can perform with proper form. I highlight that it should be an exercise that you can perform with proper form, because most injuries come about from doing various moves wrong. Injuries are not welcome on our exercise expansion journey!

Have you picked your 3 exercises? EXCELLENT! Now that you’ve chosen your 3 exercises we’re going to factor in that we want to keep our intensity low to start off. If you remember when we were working towards forming the habit last time, we want to increase the intensity in increments. This is to help us maintain the challenge and keep us away from burn out.

Let’s look at different forms of measuring intensity for different activities and exercises:

Walking or dancing – we can gauge that through the length of a song, or the pace at which we choose to move at.

Lifting weights – can be measured in reps, or through the duration of a song like “Flower by: Moby.”

The idea is not to take on more than we can chew. Keep it super simple, and really easy. As we get into our groove, we can make adjustments and expand our repertoire of exercises as we go. Making use of our calendar method, mark off when you complete your routine for a week, making note of your intensity. Remember to change up the intensity to keep your routine effective!

Hope that helps give you a strong foundation to beginning the expansion of your exercise routine. Until our next Swimming Fit Friday!

On this week’s Swimming Tip Tuesday we will discuss butterfly and the importance of building abdominal strength, both for enhancing the performance of the stroke as well as its everyday benefits.

The main component of butterfly is dolphin kick, and though the word “kick” would lead you to focus your energy on building leg muscles, the point of propulsion starts in the hips and lower abdomen. The hips and the abdomen is where the swimmer thrusts the pelvis downwards into the water. It is at this point that the swimmer takes this power and channels it down into the thighs, and through to the calves and feet. Strength in the abdomen is used again to pull the hips upwards for the next kick sequence.

By developing this abdominal strength, the ability to travel further between kicks increases tremendously!

Abdominal strength is important in day-to-day life as well for some of the following reasons:

Improvements in posture – aside from being better for your spine, having better posture can help with confidence, and how others perceive you. The way in which you physically hold yourself indicates a great deal to others subconsciously.

Better balance – which is something to be mindful of as we age. The number one cause of injuries as one gets older is from falling. Having good core strength allows for swift reaction time in the event of a potential fall.

For those of us who are comfortable in the water, you can perform the following to improve core strength:

With the use of a pool noodle placed under your feet in the water, hold a surf position for as long as possible.

With the use of a pool noodle, perform ‘suntan – super man’ (for more on how to do this move keep an eye out for the next Swimming Fit Friday on building abdominal strength).

Well that’s a wrap for this week’s Swimming Tip Tuesday! Thanks for reading!

On today’s Swimming Tip Tuesday our key point is to ‘keep your body as close to the surface of the water as possible’.

Butterfly is an advanced stroke that requires a lot of coordination, and well-developed strength in both the arms and legs. Let’s look at breathing and timing for butterfly.

When breathing the positioning of our chest in the water dictates how effectively we will be able to come up for air. Furthermore, the positioning of our chest also allows the swimmer to develop a natural rhythm.

A common mistake amongst beginners is starting with their head and chest too low into the water at the beginning of the stroke. What we are striving for is to keep the head just under the surface of the water, and the chest almost level with the surface.

As we go into the stroke, the chest drops slightly with the downbeat of the hips, and returns to the surface of the water on the second downbeat of the legs. Making a wave or ‘s’ motion with the body.

By returning the chest to the surface of the water, we decrease the amount of work required to pull the head up to breathe. For those of you who have been swimming for some time, swimming is all about efficiency! By focusing on bringing the chest back up on the second down beat of the legs, we decrease the amount of energy used to bring our head up. This provides the swimmer with more energy to complete longer distances, as butterfly can be a more physically taxing stroke in comparison to simple strokes like front crawl or back crawl.

To practice adjusting the body, perform a front float and focus on maintaining the position of the chest. Well that’s a wrap for this weeks’ Swimming Tip Tuesday, until next week!

On this week’s Swimming Tip Tuesday we will discuss water safety. Whether you are staying local and visiting the beach, headed up to the cabin, or going on vacation abroad. It is important be mindful and cautious about the type of water you are going to be venturing into.

Swimming Tip Tuesday: here’s an example of a warning flag at the beach

When going on vacation at a beach, lifeguards will have red buoys or flags out to indicate which parts of the beach are unsafe due to waves and the strength of currents in the water. Even the most experienced of swimmers can be pulled under due to the strength of the current. Follow these signs as you would traffic lights. They are not guidelines, they are rules to protect you. Never underestimate the power of currents, and be extremely cautious about swimming in one.

Another caution to be wary of while at the beach are sandbars. Sandbars are areas of elevated sand at the bottom of the water, these tend to appear and disappear as one moves deeper into the water. Walking off of one of these can be shocking for all swimmers, specifically inexperienced swimmers, or those new to this phenomenon. Remember to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings, swim with an aid, or a life jacket, to keep safe when out on the water.

Swimming Tip Tuesday: Currents of the water can be dangerous, wear a life jacket!

Remember, no matter how calm water looks, there are also under currents to be wary of. These are often a product of “calm” looking water. The water happens to be moving at a startling speed. Always wear a life jacket when going into uncontrolled waters (ie: lakes, oceans, rivers etc). Do not just bring your life jacket with you, wear it. Treat it as your would a bike helmet or a car seat belt. It does not work if it is not on. Remember even the most experienced swimmers can drown, so swim smart and swim safe.

On this week’s Swimming Tip Tuesday we’re going to focus on how to maximize our forward propulsion by looking at the differences in how we kick our feet.

The basis of butterfly is dolphin kick, it is from this movement that the swimmer generates most of their forward momentum. When beginners are learning this stroke, some instructors will put emphasis on splash to differentiate between the two different types of kicks.

Dolphin kick is a wave motion generated from the hips. The swimmer will do the following sequence when performing the kick.

1-push the hips down towards the pool floor.

1a-bend at the knees.

1b- keep the feet close to the top of the water.

This is the initial ‘S’ or ‘wave’ motion. Then the swimmer will…

2- push the bum up towards to the top of the water.

2a-straighten the knees.

2b push the feet down towards the pool floor.

This is the second wave, this motion will become seamless with practice.

As the swimmer performs 2b (pushing the feet down towards the pool floor) they will execute that push gently the first time, tapping the water and hard the second time, forcing the water down beneath them. On the second kick, the swimmer engages the arms and adds to the momentum.

We’ve spoken about the mechanics but how do we maximize this movement? The answer is to minimize the amount of splash we create in the kick.

As I have emphasized in the past to avoid drag we want to maintain a streamlined body position. Remaining streamlined allows for the water to flow around the body without creating drag and assisting with the swimmers’ forward momentum.

In the case of Butterfly we want to maintain the motion of water around us to avoid drag. Due to the wave like motion of this stroke it is in the swimmer’s best interest to minimize disruptions to the flow of water.

When we create splashes, we change the movement of the water around the swimmer. Due to the change in direction of the water’s movement, the swimmer needs to work against these other currents being created by large splashes.

As a result it important for swimmers to practice the execution of this kick, with great power and a small amount of splash.

Keep practicing, and we’ll see you next time for Swimming Tip Tuesday!

On this week’s Swimming Tip Tuesday we’re going to discuss butterfly and how our head position affects the power and motion of the stroke.

Before we get into the details, let’s look at the mechanics behind dolphin kick and how that influences the swimmer’s head position. The reason dolphin kick is important is because it is the foundation for butterfly.

Dolphin kick is a movement mainly generated from the hips to propel the body forward. This motion is practiced with the swimmers head facing downwards towards the pool floor.

Dolphin kick happens to be a “legs only” skill, for new swimmers or swimmers who are not accustomed to blowing bubbles slowly, as well as swimmers who are not accustomed to holding their breath for long distances. Instructors notice that these swimmers will jut their head out of the water to breathe.

Though this response is normal for beginners, it can carry over into butterfly and cause some problems.

When a swimmer juts their head out of the water during butterfly this action disrupts their forward momentum. To correct this we want the swimmer’s head to follow the natural rise and fall of the chest as we engage the arms. Finding the breathing window comes with understanding the rhythm of the arms.

Pro Tip: Remember to breathe once the arms exit the water and enter the recovery phase, keeping your head close to the surface of the water.

By sticking to this pattern we can generate lots of uninterrupted forward momentum, which will improve our overall endurance for the stroke.

Swimming Tip Tuesday Summary: Avoid jutting your head out of the water when performing butterfly.

If you are interested in more competitive and competition oriented strokes check out Aqua Fun Academy’s ASAC program. The Link is provided below:

On this week’s Swimming Fit Friday, we are going to discuss exercise. as well as how it can have a positive effects on our self-esteem. With ads and social media influencing our self-perception of shaping what is and is not of value. It can be increasingly difficult for people of all backgrounds, sizes, shapes, and abilities to hold onto what makes them amazing.

I would like to say that as a person you do not owe anyone health, fitness, or beauty. Exercise can provide a space to discover one’s passions, capacity for learning new skills, and overall growth.

Taking up an exercise can provide us with an out, it can take us outdoors, exercising can get us unplugged from ads and social media momentarily.

We can find excitement in our new abilities; from lifting your first weight, to running your first ½ marathon, to swimming in your first competition. Overcoming challenges has a positive effect on our mental state. The endorphins released into the body are responsible for feelings such as happiness.

I have also noticed that the confidence that comes with knowing you’re good at a skill has a way of translating into other avenues of your life. It can become its own well in which we draw from to actively discover new passions.

Engaging in exercise can also give us new friends, or even and entire community. Joining a sports team, or league, having a weekly swim buddy, or a network of people at your pool. Being surrounded by amazing people makes us better.

Excelling at our exercise / sport of choice builds our perseverance, our character, and our self-esteem. Exercise provides us with a template for learning, it demonstrates to the individual that time and effort are fundamental in achieving our goals.

I challenge all of you to go out there and find an exercise, sport, or activity that feels good to you!

On this week’s Swimming Tip Tuesday we will discuss streamlining. Swimming is an efficient sport! The objective of swimming is to minimize as many unnecessary movements as possible to propel oneself through the water. In order to do this the body should remain in a horizontal streamline position.

When we raise our head up we break this horizontal streamline position, creating more drag. Note that “drag” in this context is the force pulling the swimmer backwards and ultimately down. Thus exiting streamline position by raising our head produces drag and causes the swimmer to sink. As a result of this it requires more effort for the swimmer to stay afloat and propel themselves forwards.

This is what happens: the body lowers starting from the hips and down towards the feet.

To prevent this specifically during strokes likes front crawl the swimmer must maintain a horizontal streamlined position. This can be done by keeping the head close to the shoulder when turning to the side to breathe. Ideally the swimmer should turn their head so their ear enters the water completely and their nose is parallel with the lane line or wall (dependent on which way the swimmer turns to breathe).

Raising our head up can also be create drag for strokes like back crawl and elementary backstroke. This is what happens: lifting the head up forces the swimmer to bend at the waist, and pushing the hips and legs down. This downward motion not only slows us down, but uses excessive amount of energy to propel us through the water.

To correct this one must relax the head in the water, allowing the ears to enter the water. As this is done, the swimmer should be able to see the ceiling directly above them. Maintaining this body position will allow the swimmer to keep their feet up with more ease during back crawl. Similarly during elementary backstroke, it is important to maintain the same head position as in back crawl.

To summarize: Try to keep your head and spine as still and relaxed as possible. Until our next Swimming Tip Tuesday!

On this week’s Swimming Fit Friday we are going to discuss building strength through cross training in the gym instead of the pool and why you can’t always do your favorite exercises!

Many of us are guilty of focusing on our favourite or well-known exercises for long duration of time as our only workout. Examples of commonly known exercises would be squats, deadlifts, and bicep curls. Our bodies are composed of multiple muscle groups, and these muscle groups work together to accomplish an exercise. We mitigate our ability to develop strength when we focus on one muscle group.

Performing the same behavior, but expecting the outcome to change, is the definition of insanity (Albert Einstein may have also been an athlete?). The body requires versatility in order to develop. When I started lifting I too was guilty of this. I was doing squats as a solo activity, hoping I’d eventually surpass my plateau of 90lbs. For months, I was unable to surpass this weight limit, as I was repeating the same workout routine. Then one day it hit me, my problem was a lack of training any accessory muscle groups! In simple words, I wasn’t working on any of the muscles that were supposed to help me squat this weight.

I started to do different exercises to build the rest of my muscle groups.

To list a few:

Walking lunges or Farmers carries

Glute and Hamstring raises

Hip Thrust

Prowler Pushers

I also started to do exercises that focus on smaller muscle groups such as glute medius and minimus. For you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Using a microband to add resistance. Step inside the band with both feet and fasten around each ankle. Stand in a wide sports stance (or squat), knees slightly bent, toes pointed straight ahead and hands on hips or out in front. Step out to the side and continue walking sideways as if you were a crab.

Though these exercises are less exciting to post to Instagram, they are key in helping you bridge the gap in your muscle development. Giving you the assist you need to develop your strength!

Today’s Swimming Tip Tuesday is an Advanced Tip! As we progress throughout swimming, we challenge ourselves to learn more complicated strokes, and more competitive and competition oriented strokes. If this is where your interest lies, look more into Aqua Fun Academy’s ASAC program. The Link is provided below:

https://www.aquafunacademy.ca/asac/

Butterfly is one of the most co-ordination heavy strokes, similar to breaststroke. However butterfly also requires well-conditioned upper body strength, and flexible shoulder mobility. This stroke can be learned in steps, and for today’s Swimming Tip Tuesday we will focus on the head position associated with the butterfly.

To perform butterfly correctly the swimmer should maintain that they look downward towards the bottom of the pool. Let’s look at some different methods to practice this key aspect of the skill.
Swimming Tip Tuesday Workout.

Equipment:

6 rings (an alternative to rings would be following the dark black line down the middle of the pool).

Flippers, to perform butterfly or alternatively Dolphin Kick

Use of Equipment:

Rings

Flippers

Action: Perform butterfly OR dolphin kick

Emphasis: Focus on following the line or rings down the pool.

Distance: Repeat for 50m, 30 seconds of rest in between each 25m.

Reason: The activity of following the rings or the line down the pool will encourage the body to remember this position and store it in muscle memory when practicing butterfly while focusing on other elements.

How can I tell if I’m performing butterfly properly? Get a buddy. Swimming with a buddy helps us to hold ourselves accountable for our actions. Get your buddy to watch you from two angles. Have your buddy stand at the opposite end of the lane to see if you deviate and look forwards at them. A second vantage point would be to swim in the lane closest to a wall and have your buddy watch you from the side. What your buddy is looking for is how far forward or downwards you hold your head throughout the stroke.

Tip Summary:

Swimming butterfly correctly requires you to keep your head set solidly in a downward-facing position.